If you are new to shopping at CVS and would like some tips, check out this article here and here.  There are lots of “freebies” this week, so it’s a great time to get started!  If you haven’t gotten them already, your quarterly ECB should print out at the register or scanner, too!

Tag your reusable bag: Buy a Greenbag tag for $.99 at the register, get $1 ECB every 4th visit – limit 1 use per day, per household

If you haven’t already, register your CVS Extra Care card here and you should receive a $4 off a $20 purchase coupon in your e-mail. This also registers you to receive other e-mail coupons!

FREEBIES:

Buy Bausch & Lomb ReNu Sensitive solution (12 oz) – $7.99, get  $7.99 ECB (limit 1 per household)
Final Price = FREE after ECBs


Buy Revlon nail polish – $3.99, get a $3 ECB (limit 6 per household)
$1/1 Revlon color cosmetics – 9-12 SS
Final Price = FREE after ECBs

NOTE:  The $1/1 Revlon coupon is beeping, so YMMV on being able to use it.  You should be able to use it, but some cashiers will not push it through.

Some people got a $7/15 Revlon CRT (these are the coupons that print at the scanners or on your receipt).  If you got this CRT, you can do this:
Buy 5 Revlon nail polish – $3.99/each

Use $7/15 CRT
Use 5 Revlon coupons

Spend $7.95 OOP, get a $15 ECB

Buy Schick Hydro 3 or 5 razor (or 4 ct cartridges) – $8.97, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$4/1 Schick Hydro – 10-3 SS
Final Price = FREE after ECBs

ECB DEALS:  These are the “best of” the other ECB deals I see this week

Buy Colgate Wisp (8 ct) or Colgate Pro Clinical toothpaste – $3.99, get a $1.50 ECB (limit 2 per household)
$1/1 Colgate Pro Clinical printable
$1/1 Colgate Wisp (August and September 2010 All You Magazine)
Final Price = $1.49 after coupon/ECBs

Spend $10 on Halloween candy (Priced at $3.69+ regular retail), get a $3 ECB (limit 3 per household)
-Mars or Nestle M&Ms (50 ct), Starburst/Skittles fun size (90 ct), Butterfinger (20 oz) or Wonka Treat size (170 ct) – $9
$1/3 Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kit Kat snack size bags – 9-26 RP
$1/3 Mars candy – 9-26 RP
-Mars or Hershey’s minis – 2/$6
$1/3 Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kit Kat snack size bags – 9-26 RP
$1/3 Mars candy – 9-26 RP
-Assorted fun size candy – $5 (includes Mars or Nestle fun size)
-Mars or Hershey’s bags – $10
 **On this promotion, you do not have to spend the $10 all in one transaction.  Your total spendings toward this promotion will be displayed at the bottom of your receipt.  Once you spend $10, your ECB will print. Your “spending” is based on your pre-coupon total.

SCENARIO:
Buy 4 Mars or Hershey’s minis – 2/$6

Use $1/3 Hersheys or Mars coupon

Spend $11 OOP, get a $3 ECB
Final Price = $8 after coupons/ECBs ($2/each) – plus you will have $2 accumulated toward your next $10 to get another $3 ECB!

Spend $25 on P&G products, get a $10 ECB (limit 1 per household)
-Bounty paper towels (12 ct) – $13
$.25/1 Bounty paper towels – 9-26 PG
-Charmin big rolls (16 ct) – $10
$.25/1 Charmin toilet paper – 9-26 PG
-Duracell AAA, AA (10 ct), C/D (4 ct), 9 volt (2 ct) – $6
-Puffs – $1
$.25/3 Puffs – 9-26 PG
**On this promotion, you do not have to spend the $25 all in one transaction.  Your total spendings toward this promotion will be displayed at the bottom of your receipt.  Once you spend $25, your ECB will print.  Your “spending” is based on your pre-coupon total.

Buy Playtex Gentle Glide tampons (36 ct) – $6.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Playtex – 10-3 SS
$1/1 Playtex Sport printable
$1/1 Playtex printable on Smartsource.com
Final Price = $3.99 after coupons/ECBs

Buy Rimmell Lash Accelerator Mascara – $7.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Rimmell – 8-1 RP
$3/1 Rimmell October 2010 All You Magazine
Final Price = $2.99 after coupon/ECBs

The following scenarios are for people who are new to shopping at CVS or who have few, if any ECBs to spend:

TRANSACTION #1:
Buy 1 Revlon nail polish – $3.99

Use $1/1 coupon

Spend $2.99 OOP, get a $3 ECB
*You can do this up to 5 more times, and if you have the $1 coupons, you will pay nothing OOP!

TRANSACTION #2:
Buy 1 Schick Hydro 3 or 5 razor – $8.97

Use $4 Schick coupon
Use $3 ECB

Spend $1.97 OOP, get a $5 ECB

If you have a $4/20:
Buy 1 Schick Hydro 3 or 5 – $8.97
Buy 1 Bausch & Lomb ReNu sensitive solution – $7.99
Buy 1 Revlon nail polish – $3.99

Use $4/20
Use $4 Schick coupon
Use $1 Revlon coupon

Spend $11.95 OOP, get a $5 ECB (Schick), $7.99 ECB (Bausch & Lomb) and a $3 ECB (Revlon)

MY PLAN:  I am starting with a $10 ECB and a $1 ECB

TRANSACTION #1:
Buy 1 Schick Hydro razor – $8.97
Buy 2 Revlon nail polish – $3.99/each

Use $4 Schick coupon
Use 2 $1 Revlon coupon
Use $10 ECB
Use $1 ECB (adjusted down to $.95)

Spend $0 OOP, get a $5 ECB and a $6 ECB

TRANSACTION #2:
Buy 1  Re-Nu Sensitive – $7.99
Buy 1 Revlon nailpolish – $3.99

Use $3 Revlon coupon
Use $6 ECB
Use $5 ECB (adjusted to $4.98)

Spend $0 OOP, get a $3 ECB and a $7.99 ECB

TRANSACTION #3:
Buy 1 Bounty paper towels – $13
Buy 1 Charmin toilet paper – $10
Buy 2 Puffs tissues – $1/each

Use $.25 Bounty coupon
Use $.25 Charmin coupon
Use $3 and $7.99 ECB

Spend $13.51 OOP, get a $10 ECB

(I may roll my ECB from this deal into the candy deal)

Frequently asked questions:

Do you really do multiple transactions at your stores?

In the past, I usually had $20-30 ECB on hand, so I didn’t have to break up my transactions as much as I did when I first started, but now that I am starting over, yes, I am doing multiple transactions. If you are doing multiple transactions, I recommend that you let the cashier know up front that is what you are planning to do. If there are several people in line, let them go in between your transactions. This gives you time to clip your ECBs and get prepared for your next transaction.

My store was out of all the freebie items first thing this morning. Can I get a raincheck?

This all depends on your store. I have contacted corporate about this before because some stores in my area give rainchecks and others won’t. According to corporate, this is up to the individual stores.

I bought the wrong item or I bought the RIGHT item and my ECB didn’t print. What can I do?

If you bought the right item, show the store clerk your ad and your receipt. They should be able to manually print your ECB at the store. If they don’t know how, you can call customer service and they can add one to your account that will print within 48 hours (you have to wait 48 hours from your purchase time to do this so they can “see” your transaction in their computer).

If you bought the wrong item and didn’t receive ECBs, you can do a return and purchase the correct item. If you paid using ECBs, they will have to give you money on a gift card.  

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